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The chigger (:) of the Philippine Islands

Brown, Wayne Allen, Ph.D. University of Hawaii, 1991

V·M·I 300N.ZeebRei. AnnArbor,MI 48106 ~~------_._~-- THE ClllGGER MITES (ACARI: TROMBICULIDAE) OF THE PlllLIPPINE ISLANDS.

A DISSERTATION SUBMITIED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR TIlEDEGREE OF

OOCTOR OFPHILOSOPHY

INENTOMOLOGY

MAY 1991

By

Wayne A. Brown

Dissertation Committee:

M. Lee Goff, Chairman John W. Beardsley D. Elmo Hardy Wallace C. Mitchell Christopher Womersley ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was made possible by the assistance and encouragement of many individuals; my gratitude and thanks are extended to all. Foremost was my major professor and committee chairman Dr. M. Lee Goff. Special thanks are extended to him for his guidance and encouragement. Thanks are also given to the other members of my graduate committee: Dr. John W. Beardsley, Dr. D. Elmo Hardy, Dr. Wallace C. Mitchell, Dr. Christopher Womersley and Dr. F. DeWolfe Miller for their suggestions and aid, additionally I thank Dr. Arthur Kodama for acting as proxy, for Dr. Womersley, during the oral defense of this dissertation. I am also indebted to Dr. JoAnn Tenorio and Mr. Gordon Nishida of the Department of Entomology, Bishop Museum, and to Dr. Barry O'Conner of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology for loaning the ectoparasite collection material from the Philippine Islands for processing and study.

To my family I extend special thanks for assisting In many ways. Facilities for this study were provided by the Department of Entomology, University of Hawaii at Manoa.

111 ABSTRACf Examination of chiggers (larval Trombiculidae) from the Philippine Islands in the collections of the B. P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology has revealed the presence of 33 genera or subgenera and 60 species of which one genus and 24 species are new. Hosts include species of Rattus, which was the predominant genus, other rodents, bats, insectivores, deer, primates, birds, and reptiles. One genus, Octasternala is described as new. Twenty-four of the species are described as new: 4 in the genera Gahrllepia, , Microtrombicula; 2 in the genera Cheladonta and Myotrombicula; and 1 each in the genera Chiroptella, Diplectria, Octasternala, Rudnicula, Sasatrombicula, Schoengastia, Siseca and Trombigastia. Five previously described species; Ascoschoengastia tafia.Diplectria calva, Neoschoengastia posekanyi, Parascoshoengastia monticola, and Sasatrombicula keechongi are new records for the Philippine Islands. Four previously described species are of medical importance; and L. fletcheri as vectors of scrub typhus and wichmanni, and Blankaartia acuscutellaris as eitiological agents of scrub itch. L. deliense, E. wichmanni, and B. acuscutellaris are widespread throughout the archipelago. New host records and distribution by island and by elevation and terrain, where available, are given. Range of the genera occurring in the Philippine Islands and a key to the genera and species is provided.

IV TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

ABSlRACT iv

LIST OF TABLES viii

LIST OF ILLUSlRAnONS ix

IN1RODUCTION 1

MAlERIALS AND METHODS 9

ACCOUNTS OFTIffi TAXA 13

Family Trombiculidae 13

Subfamily Leeuwenhoekiinae 14

Genus Odontacarus 15

Genus Whartonia. 18

Subfamily Trombiculinae 20

Genus Ascoschoengastia 21

Genu's Blankaartia 28

Genus Cheladonta 33

(Susa) 33

Genus Chiroptella '" 38

(Chiroptella) 39

(Neosomia) 41

v ACCOUNTS OF THE TAXA Cont.}

Genus Diptectria 46

Genus Doloisia 55

Genus Eutrombicula 57

Genus Gahrliepia 60

(Ripiaspichia) 61

(Scrobiculata) 76

(Walchia) 80

Genus Guntheria 82

Genus Heaslipia 83

Genus Helenicula 84

Genus Leptotrombidium ,. 86

(Leptotrombidium) 87

(Trombicultndus] 103

Genus Microtrombicula 107

(Eltonella) 107

(Microtrombicula) 116

Genus Myotrombicula 124

Genus Neoschoengastia 135

Genus Octasternala 140

VI ACCOUNTS OF TIIE TAXACont.)

Genus Parascoschoengastia 145

Genus Rudnicula 150

Genus Sasatrombicula 156

Genus Schoengastia 162

Genus Schoengastiella 168

Genus Siseca 171

Genus Toritrombicula 177

Genus 179

Genus Trombigastia 180

Genus Walchiella 185

PARASITE DISTRIBUTION MAPS ANDTABLES 191

KEY TOTHE GENERA ANDSPECIES 213

DISCUSSION 226

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 234

LIlERATURE CITED 236

Vll LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Parasite distribution table 203

Table 2 Parasite host table 207

Table 3 Chigger genera and subgenera distribution 211

V111 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1 Major collection sites in the Philippine Islands 12

Figure 2 Ascoshoengastia tafia 26

Figure 3 Blankaartia acuscutellaris 32

Figure 4 Cheladonta (Susa) n. sp. A 36

Figure 5 Chiroptella (Neosomia) n. sp. A 45

Figure 6 Diplectria n. sp. A 50

Figure 7 Diplectria calva 54

Figure 8 Gahrliepia (Ripiaspichia) n. sp. A 65

Figure 9 Gahrliepia (Ripiaspichia) n. sp. B 69

Figure 10 Gahrliepia (Ripiaspichia) n. sp. B. Idiosoma 71

Figure 11 Gahrliepia (Ripiaspichia) serrata 75

Figure 12 Gahrliepia (Scrobiculata) n. sp. A. 79

Figure 13 Leptotrombidium (Leptotrombidium) n. s. A...... 90

Figure 14 Leptotrombidium (Leptotrombidiumt n. sp. B..... 94

Figure 15 Leptotrombidium (Leptotrombidium) n. sp. C ..... 98

Figure 16 Leptotrombidium (Trombiculindus) n. sp. A..... 106

Figure 17 Microtrombicula (Eltonella) n. sp. A...... 111

Figure 18 Microtrombicula (Eltonella) n.sp.B...... 115

ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (Cont.)

Figure 19 Microtrombicula (Microtrombicula) n. sp. A 119

Figure 20 Microtrombicula (Microtrombicula) n. sp. B 123

Figure 21 Myotrombicula n. sp. A 128

Figure 22 Myotrombicula n, sp. AJdiosoma...... 130

Figure 23 Myotrom